


Two Kids, You And Me

by IBoatedHere



Series: Turn: Modern AU [2]
Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-08 22:05:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4322466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IBoatedHere/pseuds/IBoatedHere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The door to Ben’s bedroom flies open and he doesn’t even have to look up to know who it is.</p><p> </p><p>Written as a prequel to The Love Came Instantly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Kids, You And Me

The door to Ben’s bedroom flies open and he doesn’t even have to look up to know who it is.

“Don’t you knock?”

“Oh c’mon.” Caleb flops down on the bed and moves his shoes off the quilt before Ben can yell at him. “We’ve known each other for how long now?”

“It feels like forever.” Ben answers dryly.

“It has been forever. You expect me to knock after all that? Plus I know the only thing you’re doin’ up here is your homework. Or possibly yourself.”

Ben cuts him a look that is meant to intimidate but the flush creeping up his face gives it away. Caleb just beams back at him. Few things give him more joy than teasing Ben about sex. 

“I can’t believe you’re doing homework on a Friday night. Blow it off until Sunday.”

“Like you do?”

“Like everyone does.”

“It’s Latin. I’m behind and there’s a test on Monday.”

“Why are you even taking that? No one speaks it anymore.”

“It could come in handy. I can talk shit about you in front of you and you would never even know.”

Caleb throws a pillow at him then reaches over to grab a pizza crust off of a plate sitting on his nightstand. He sniffs it then takes a bite. 

“Plus it looks good on my transcript.” Ben continues on and Caleb rolls his eyes.

“Yale is two years away.”

“Every little bit counts.”

“You could drop out of school right now and still get in.” He pops the rest of the crust in his mouth then crosses the room and shuts Ben’s Latin book. He has to swat his hand away from where it’s holding his place. “You should be having some fun.”

“I thought you were going out with Abe and Anna.”

“I was when it was just Abe and Anna but then Anna decided to invite Selah so Abe had to invite that new girl Mary and it was turning into this awkward love square and you know I don’t like those unless I’m directly involved in them. So I figured I’d come break you out of Latin jail. You could use a break and I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”

Ben rubs his hands over his eyes. Caleb is right, he could use a break. The words on the pages are starting to blur

“Okay, but I can’t stay out too late. I have to get back and study.”

“Because if you don’t you’ll get a ninety-nine on the test instead of a one hundred and Yale will blacklist you.” 

Ben pushes him out the door.

They’re walking into Culper’s just as Abe, Anna, and their dates are walking out-all silent and straight faced. 

“I’m so glad I ditched them.” Caleb laughs as he slides into the booth opposite Ben and looks around. All the tables are filled with couples. He recognizes most of them from school and his nose wrinkles when he sees John Andre talking to Peggy Shippen. 

“She is way too young for him.” Ben’s looking at them too. 

“Everyone is paired up.”

“Except us.”

“Well maybe we should try it.” Caleb’s mouth moves faster than his brain- it’s been known to happen.

Ben laughs and keeps looking down at the menu and Caleb thinks that maybe he has gotten away with it but then he looks up and sees that its clear Caleb isn’t joking. 

“Wait. Are you serious?”

Caleb shrugs and Ben laughs nervously. 

“Caleb, come on. Are you serious? Are you?”

Caleb has never been one to back down from a challenge so…. “Yeah. I’m serious.”

Ben looks slightly panicked. 

“Look, if you’re not interested it’s fine but I was just thinking….”

“What?” Ben whispers before he gets his full voice back. “What were you thinking? How long have you been thinking this?”

Since puberty. Since Ben hit a growth spurt three years ago. Since he realized there’s no one he wants to spend more time with. 

“Awhile.”

“Awhile?”

“None of this matters if you don’t want to so we can just forget it.”

Ben sits silently for a full minute while Caleb pretends to read the menu.

“What do we do? How do we do that?” He gestures with his hands between the two of them. 

“We could go out to dinner.”

“We go out to dinner all the time. We’re out right now.”

“No, we go out to eat all the time.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Intent?”

“What’s your intent?”

Caleb’s eyebrows raise and Ben’s eyes widen. A familiar blush rises to his cheeks.

“How about tomorrow? Dinner tomorrow?”

“Really?” Caleb asks and Ben nods. “You have time for that with all your studying?”

“I always have time for you.” 

Now it’s Caleb’s turn to blush.

They eat their meal in relative silence and avoid eye contact at much as they can. The only time they mean to look at each other is when they both roll their eyes at John and Peggy walking out with his arm around her shoulders. They can already tell it’s not going to end well.

The ride home isn’t much better. Usually they’d be talking nonstop but the car is so quiet Caleb has to turn the radio on just to fill it. It barely works, it’s mostly static but it’s better than nothing. 

“So I’ll pick you up tomorrow?” Caleb finally says when he pulls into Ben’s driveway.

Ben is already out of the car and he has to awkwardly duck back in. “Sure. Same time?”

“Sounds good. Are you going to close the door anytime soon?”

Ben jumps and slams the door. “Right. Sorry. Have a goodnight. Drive safe.” It all comes out at quickly and through the closed window so he has no idea if Caleb even understood him but Caleb waves anyways and pulls away.

Ben walks slowly up the driveway trying to figure out how he left his house to take a study break with his best friend and came back to his house dating his best friend. 

The next night Ben meets Caleb in his driveway. Caleb is wearing the cleanest button down shirt and jeans Ben has ever seen him in.

“I was coming up to get you.” Caleb explains. “That’s what you do on a date.”

“You didn’t need to do that. I’m not a girl.”

“Trust me, I’ve noticed that.” Caleb says, giving him a once over. He turns back to his car and Ben takes a moment to openly appreciate the way his ass looks in those jeans.

“You look nice.” 

“Shut up.” Caleb laughs.

If all they’re going to be doing is hurling compliments at each other and hanging out all night then Ben thinks that maybe they can do this. 

Things turn a little complicated when Caleb drives right past Culper’s and straight onto Hewlett’s. 

Hewlett’s is quite a few steps above Culper’s and they’re led through tables of couples and onto the balcony with only lanterns, candles, and the starlight to illuminate them. 

He mumbles something to the waitress about just wanting water because this place is not cheap. Caleb must have dipped into his new car fund to pay for this. If Caleb is even paying for this. It was technically Caleb’s idea but Ben did give the okay for the date. He’s trying to figure out if it would even be considered a date if they were to split the bill when Caleb breaks into his thoughts.

“Why are you so quiet?” 

Ben plays with the silverware. There’s more than one fork and he doesn’t know what to do. “I might be a little nervous.”

“Why? It’s just me?”

“It’s not. You’re not just you anymore. You’re more than that now. And who is paying for this?”

Caleb looks taken aback. “I can pay if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“That’s not the only thing but that’s fine, if you’re sure. I can pay next time. If there is a next time.” He adds. 

“Why wouldn’t there be a next time?”

“I don’t know, Caleb. This whole thing is just….” He takes a deep breath and hates how concerned Caleb looks. “What if it doesn’t work?”

“Then it doesn’t work.”

Ben actually groans in frustration. “It is not that simple.”

“Sure it is. If this doesn’t work out nothing changes. Do you think one night can really change our friendship?”

“I don’t want things to be awkward.”

“They won’t be.” He says quickly. “They might be but only for a little while. I mean you’re going to eventually go off to Yale and I’ll join the Navy so the awkwardness will stop.” 

“Please don’t joke about this.” Ben begs but he’s starting to laugh. Caleb reaches across the table to cover Ben’s hand with his own and Ben stops laughing. 

“Please don’t write this whole thing off just because you don’t know for sure what’s going to happen. Take a chance.” He starts to pull his hand away but Ben flips his over and curls his fingers around Caleb’s. Caleb takes a deep breath and leans back in his seat but doesn’t let go of Ben’s hand. “You also have to remember that I’ve seen you puke your guts out after drinking that punch at John Simcoe’s end of the year party last year. I don’t think anything could be more awkward than that and we made it through it.”

“You can give me my hand back now.” He starts to pull it away but Caleb chases after it. 

“I was just kidding, come on.” 

Ben moves his hand back to his side but grazes his foot against Caleb’s calf beneath the table. 

It seems to be enough to please him.

Conversation flows after that. 

Caleb agrees to pay and Ben leaves the tip. They decide their relationship will be built around equality and compromise.

When they get back to Ben’s house he doesn’t get out of the car right away because Caleb is still talking.

He’s trying for small talk but Ben is emboldened by what Caleb said to him to calm him down at the start of dinner. He’s never going to lose him. What’s happening with them now is an add on. A bonus. Like extra credit and Ben has never been one to turn down extra credit. 

Ben reaches across the center console and kisses him. 

Through the nerves he moves his hand to the back of Caleb’s head. It deepens the kiss and he feels Caleb’s ball into the back of Ben’s shirt. He wants to pull him over but Caleb still has his seat belt on so he’ll have to climb over. 

But Caleb’s car is so cramped and he ends up hitting his head on the roof and Caleb laughs. Ben shuts him up by kissing him harder. Caleb slips his hand under Ben’s shirt and runs it up his spine. 

They only break apart when Ben sees the porch light blink a few times. 

“My dad thinks he’s funny.” He still has a hand threaded through Caleb’s hair. Caleb slowly eases his own hand out from beneath Ben’s shirt. 

“You should probably go before he comes out with a musket or something.”

Ben moves back into his seat then opens the door and climbs out.

“I’ll call you.” 

“I think you should.” Ben shuts the door then opens it again to kiss him one more time. 

Caleb waits until he’s inside the house before he drives away.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Renegades by X Ambassadors


End file.
